Asahi at Night
by Charlett
Summary: The Ouendan's prized Shitzu wants to take a walk, and whenever that happens, all eyes are always on Kikuchi Shinta, the team's young rookie!


WOOO I wrote this like seven years ago (not really) but never really put it up here, thinking that no one would care. Now that I've looked over it again and fixed it up again, I decided to put it up and show off that YES I DO WORK I just don't show everything here.

This was actually the first time I introduced the Asahi, so they're not as fleshed as they will be in future stories if I ever get around to doing them (hah yeah right)

SO ANYWAY READ ON!

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Whenever the Asahi Town's Ouendan's small pet, a Shitzu lovingly referred to by the group as "Koro-chan", pawed for a walk outside, all eyes were on (except for Sugita Kenshin, who's eyes were never open enough to be on anything) the rookie, Kikuchi Shinta. Shinta loved the dog, and although he wasn't the specific person who dolled him up every day, he was the one who took him on the weekly walks to the groomer's. The young man looked up when he heard the pitiful whining of Koro-chan, and felt empathy for the creature. "Hey little one… do you want to go out?"

Koro-chan heard the word "Out" and ran around in circles, barking happily. Shinta laughed aloud and went to collect the Shitzu's leash. However, when he dug through the dog's items (from perfume to doggie treats), he found that it was missing. Koro-chan barked rapidly and unhappily at his walker. Where was the leash?

"Would you please keep Koro-chan from barking, Shinta-kun?" Minazuki Reika asked, entering the rookie's room with a bowl of ramen in her hand. She slurped up a few noodles and continued, "Kaoru-sempai is unable to continue his drills with that incessant barking."

"I understand, Reika-sempai, and I'm terribly sorry…" Shinta replied, picking up the little dog to quiet him, "But I can't find Koro-chan's leash anywhere!"

"You can't just walk him without it…?"

"It's dark out! That wouldn't be a very good idea!" Shinta said, afraid of the thought of losing their favorite pet.

Reika sighed. "Please do your best. An unhappy Kaoru-sempai makes for an unhappy squad," she muttered, and with that, she turned and went to return to the kitchen before the Ouendan Director found out that she was eating her ramen somewhere other than the kitchen (which was obviously a bad thing).

"I understand…" Shinta said, looking down at the dog who was struggling in the confines of his hands, "Come on, Koro-chan, let's go find your leash, but let's be quiet about it, alright?" The Shitzu sighed but seemed to be calm, so Shinta let him down on the floor. "Come on, let's go!"

Shinta retraced his steps. Where did he put the leash last time he brought Koro-chan back from a walk? He remembered that the day was frightfully busy, and the moment he returned from the walk, Kiryuuin Karou had ordered him to start another drill with Kenshin and Moriyama Tsuyoshi. Shinta had to be there quickly, so he unhooked Koro-chan's leash and dropped it… in a chair in the living room…

The Ouendan rookie found himself in the living room, checking around for the leash. Instead he found Kawai Honoka. She was playing with her assortment of rabbit plushies, which she had gathered in a circle, the boundary of which was marked by Koro-chan's leash!

"Ahh! Honoka-kun!" Shinta said, approaching the Cheer Girl.

She looked up with a glare. "Shinta-san! I'm not a 'kun'! I am a 'chan'! Kun is for boys!"

Shinta sighed; getting on the Cheer Girl's bad side already meant that he would have trouble asking for that leash later. But what was he supposed to do? He didn't feel comfortable calling her "chan", really, and what was up with her calling HIM "san"!? How come he wasn't Sempai like everyone else was? "How about Honoka-san, instead?"

Honoka's frown creased so mightily that Shinta was afraid her face would crack. "Chan!"

Shinta shook his head, trying to be as adamant as possible. He would NOT budge over something like this! "You're my subordinate, Honoka-kun! I was here before you! I have every right to call you whatever I want! You're younger; therefore, Honoka-kun!"

Honoka stuck her tongue out at the rookie. It wasn't fair at all! "You're such a meanie!"

Shinta sighed again and tried to drop the subject. Perhaps just calling her "San" this once wouldn't be so bad… "Honoka-san, that's Koro-chan's leash, and he wants to go for a walk. May I have it?"

Honoka looked down at her play set, and frowned lightly. She was almost pouting. "But… it's my corral…" she murmured. The unspoken words were that Shinta was still a meanie, which only made negotiations worse.

"Honoka-kun…" Shinta sighed for what appeared to be the seventh time just this day, "Koro-chan needs his exercise…"

Honoka continued to pout, but suddenly she looked up, as if a light bulb had suddenly appeared over her head. She looked up at Shinta and grinned maliciously. "I'll give it to you," she said, "On one con-di-tion~."

Shinta suddenly felt something very cold crawl up his spine as Honoka looked up and smiled in his direction. "Call me Ho-no-ka-chyan~!"

"Honoka-kun, this is no time for games…!"

"I won't give it unless you do, Shinta-san," Honoka said with a giggle, "Ho-no-ka-chyan!"

"Fine… fine…!" Shinta said, trying not to groan. He took a deep breath, gulped audibly, and put on his most dashing smile, holding his hand out for the item he wanted to procure. "May I have the leash, Honoka-chan?"

Honoka giggled brightly at the sparkles that surrounded his face and the hair that suddenly looked as smooth as silk. She handed the leash to the rookie with a happy squeal. "Shinta-san is so cute when he says 'chan'! Just like a Bishounen!"

Shinta straightened up with leash in hand, thoroughly scandalized. "Y-you may want to get your head out of the clouds, Honoka-cha…sa…KUN!" Shinta said, making the Cheer Girl giggle again. He turned red at her making fun of him, and turned to the dog at his heels instead of looking at her malicious smile. "Let's go, Koro-chan!" he said rather forcefully, arms at his sides. The Shitzu barked happily at the thought.

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Shinta found that after Honoka making fun of his bowl cut hair, it was always better to take a slightly longer walk than normal. Sure, Kaoru gave him extra work when he did so, but at least he could vent steam in the cool night air. He decided to walk towards the mountains north of Asahi and Yuuhi town, so he could properly vent without bothering the town. "Bishounen! The very thought of it! I'll show that Honoka 'Bishounen'! I am completely normal and do not look or act feminine at all!" He suddenly stopped and looked down at the dog. "Don't you think so, Koro-chan?" The Shitzu cocked his head, and the young Ouendan member sighed. Everyone was out to get him, he was sure of it!

Shinta stopped at the top of the hill, and stood near the huge, centuries old tree. Peering down, he smiled at the lights that danced through both Yuuhi and Asahi. It was such a beautiful sight! He sat down and watched the night pass by. He did enjoy all of his workouts, of course, but it was wonderful to just sit down and do nothing for a moment. All of his working made those times the best.

And suddenly, the Ouendan member jerked his head up. Someone needed help, and from the empathetic pain in his head, the target was close. He stood up and wiped the dirt from his butt, and thought quickly. What would we do with Koro-chan? He eventually decided to tie the dog to one of the smaller trees on the hill, and pet him lightly. "I'll be right back, Koro-chan. I have a job to do!" He said. Turning, the rookie rushed off into the night, Koro-chan barking furiously at his abandonment.

Shinta had a fleeting thought of stopping his pursuit of the target and call for backup, as it didn't seem that the person was in dire need just yet. He had never actually done a cheer on his own before, after all! The recruit was just about to do so, until he heard the word that spurred him to action regardless of his preparedness to carry out his cheer.

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The young woman rushed from her pursuer, further up the hill towards the giant, ancient tree. "I need…! I need…!" She nearly tripped on a loose rock, and her heel snapped off. "I need someone…!""

"Why are you running, Nellie?" the man said, striding purposefully towards her, "I just want to get to know you better. I'm your biggest fan!"

Ryuume Nellie, an up and coming model, tried to run quickly with her broken heel, and found it impossible. Her stalker caught up to her as she dropped to the floor with a gasp. "I need…! O…! O…!"

"Nellie!" The woman turned on her back as the man dropped next to her. "I love you, Nellie! Why don't you love me…? We can always be together!"

"No!" Nellie screamed, grabbing his arms to keep him from touching her, "Help me! Ouenda------n…!!"

"OSU!" Right on cue, young Shinta shouted out loud, and immediately Nellie felt safe despite the man that was crawling on her. "Ikuzee! San! Nii! Ichi! Sure!"

Nellie was able to scramble away from the man as she grasped at the stones on the floor. She was able to kick off her shoes, winding her pursuer as she did so, and she stood up. Shinta smiled; she was safe!

"N…Nellie? Nellie, why are you running? Nellie!" The scary fan stood up to pursue the woman, and she turned around in a fright, watching him approach her. "Nellie, I love you!" She regained her courage and slapped him straight across the face. He staggered slightly to the side, and she reached down to the floor. The stalker recovered, but before he could move towards her, she threw a handful of dirt into his eyes. He shouted in anger and pain, and she rushed past him, running down the hill and back towards her home in Asahi Town.

Shinta smiled brightly as Nellie escaped. The fact that the fan might pursue her back into Asahi wasn't even on his mind. The rookie placed his hands behind his back and puffed up with pride. His first cheer on his own, complete! "Ouen…!" he began, "Dai Sei…"

He was immediately shown that perhaps he should have taken the man into more account. Reaching out for any human contact, Nellie's stalker pulled back his fist and struck at the first thing that made sound. Shinta fell to the floor, stunned, surprised, and bleeding out of his nose. "Nellie, my darling! Why did you do that…!?" the still blinded man shouted, dropping to the floor so he could properly continue beating the one he thought was Nellie, "You hurt me, Nellie! You hurt me so much!"

"I'm not!" Shinta could barely speak; he was being struck too many times. "I'm not Nellie!" By no means was the young man weak. He had been working out at a sports gym long before he joined the Ouendan, so he wouldn't take the beatings in stride. He caught the man's fist and tried not to choke on the blood in his nose. "Listen to me!"

The man stopped for only a moment, rubbing the dirt and dust from his eyes. Finally, he could get a good look at the man he was assaulting. Anger flared within the man. "You…!" he shouted, his attacks becoming more brutal as realization dawned on him, "You helped her! It's your fault she ran away! You kept us apart! It's YOUR fault!"

Shinta gasped for air as the man clawed and kicked at him. It was so hard to get a breath in edgewise with the man's attacks! "Stop!" The young man ordered feebly, striking back with his own face palms and protective blocks. The man wasn't fazed; he seemed to be in some sort of rage. "Stop it this instant!"

Finally, the Ouendan member was able to hit the assaulter away. The two scrambled on the ground and Shinta took a split second to register the damage he was dealt. Most of it was scratches on his arms… his headband was missing (later Shinta noticed that it was in the enemy's hand), and the worst of the damage was the bloodied nose that the man had given him from the beginning. He felt dizzy, and hoped it was because of the large cut on his forehead and not a concussion. The man seemed no worse for wear, despite the fact that Shinta had fought back wonderfully. The Ouendan member just didn't attack with anything that could draw blood. All of the force he used upon the enemy was blunt.

"You… It's your fault…" the man said, standing up and advancing upon the dazed man.

"Listen to me!" Shinta said, trying another tactic. Kenshin had always told him that the power of Cheer could do practically anything if applied in the right manner. Perhaps he could get the man to stop being so angry by cheering him on. "You don't have to attack the people you like…! It won't make them love you; it will only make them afraid of you! You must listen to me, if you really love Nellie, then you will let her go!"

The man shuddered madly. Something hit home. "You wouldn't understand! You don't know anything!" He rushed forward, and Shinta reached up to block the strike. The young Ouendan member was too light headed to stay surefooted, and the rough shove tipped the rookie backwards. He fell to the ground and had to catch himself. He was dangerously close to the edge of the road! Down below was a steep hill of sharp brambles and rocks. The young man tried to push himself up, but the other man slammed his foot on Shinta's shoulder, pinning him to the ground. "You! You ruined everything! Everything!"

"Please! Think of what you're doing!" Shinta shouted, trying to tell himself that he was cheering, rather than begging for his life, "What would Nellie say if she knew you…?"

"What do you know about her!?" the man screeched, moving his foot so it sent Shinta dangerously close to the edge, "You don't know ANYTHING! You never will! You never will!" He glared down at Shinta as the Ouendan member struggled lightly; in the distance, a dog howled miserably. The young man apologized more to Koro-chan than anyone else. He should have called for backup! He wouldn't be in this problem if he had others with him…!

"Please…" Shinta murmured, tasting the blood and sweat in his mouth as he curled into a little ball, "H…Help…"

"Help!? HELP!?" The man lifted his foot off of the young man, but before Shinta could stand, the attacker gave the recruit a sharp kick in the stomach. "Who's here to help you? Who would ever help someone like YOU?"

"Perhaps I could answer your question…" A sharp, sultry voice that commanded respect of anyone around it suddenly said. The man whirled around, and Shinta clutched his still hurting stomach. He didn't need to look at the Ouendan who was standing near the two, he already knew; it was Saionji Hayato, the Ouendan Leader. At his side stood Tsuyoshi, his arms pressed stately behind his back. Hayato threw his hand out and spoke

thunderously. "If you lay another hand on our recruit, we will be forced to take action!"

"What action can you prissy little…"

"I SAID…!" Hayato roared, making the man take a step back in fear, "Don't you DARE hurt Shinta-kun any longer or I will be FORCED to take action!!"

"I'm SORRY!" The man bawled. Hayato's cheer was so forceful it broke down any resolve he had. "I just…! I wanted…! Nellie!!!"

"You will leave here and watch your idol from afar, like any other fan before you…" Hayato took a few steps forward, his voice returning to a normal pitch now that the man was no long a threat. "Perhaps someday, Nellie will need your help. At that time, we will be happy to assist you in attracting her attention…"

The man slunk backwards, and sobbed in heaving breaths. "I… I only wanted to…" Hayato didn't listen to him as he continued to wander numbly down the hill; the leader was busy tending to his recruit.

"Shinta-kun… can you stand?" The leader asked, offering Shinta his hand. The recruit took it gratefully, and was brought up from the floor quickly.

He practically passed out from lack of blood in his brain. "I… I don't think…" the recruit groaned, leaning mostly on his leader for support, "My head feels foggy…"

"A concussion?" Hayato asked, blinking at the recruit's head for any noticeable bumps. Suddenly Shinta gasped.

"Koro-chan!" the rookie cried, making Hayato grasp at his recruit's shoulders to support him, "I left Koro-chan alone! I didn't think I'd be gone for so long! I'm so sorry, Hayato-sempai…!"

"He is well taken care of. Kenshin-san has him," Hayato said in an attempt to keep his recruit more at ease. Shinta was very much on edge… but the leader understood why. "Right now we must worry about you. I'm afraid of having you walk…"

Shinta stared at his leader, trying to force himself from seeing four eyes. He just didn't want the others to worry about him. "Oh… Hayato-sempai… It… it's alright…" He released his hold on Hayato, and after a few faltering steps, he stood upright on his own. "I… I'll walk home…"

"A fine choice for a member of the Asahi Ouendan," Hayato said, motioning for Tsuyoshi to follow them as they moved down the hill. Silence passed between the three, and Tsuyoshi cleared his throat. Hayato stopped and turned questioningly to the cheerer behind him.

"Shinta-kun…" He said, adjusting his glasses and motioning to the young recruit, who was swaying and sniffing what little blood he had left up his nose. Hayato smiled lightly and waved Tsuyoshi on. He nodded and jogged ahead as the leader walked back to his recruit.

"You sure you don't need help, Shinta-kun?" Hayato asked; a knowing smile was on his face.

"I screwed up so much…" Shinta murmured, "I couldn't ask you to do anything for a screw-up like me… If only I had called for backup, this never would have happened." The recruit looked up when Hayato grasped his arm to keep him from dipping dangerously to the floor. The leader lifted him up lightly and placed Shinta's arm around his shoulders.

"Those of an Ouendan need help too sometimes," Hayato agreed, "They should be ready to ask for it when they need it." He smiled as he wrapped his free arm under Shinta's armpit to support the recruit. "Now seems to be one of those times…"

"H…Hayato-sempai… You shouldn't have to…"

"Do you need me to carry you?" Hayato asked, not one hint of joke in his voice, "Because I will. Just think of Honoka's face when she sees that. Well, Shinta-kun?"

Shinta stared at Hayato as if to say "You wouldn't dare!" Hayato's expression didn't change. The recruit sighed and walked with the leader's help. "F…Fine… At least I still have my pride…"

Hayato looked on ahead, staring at the beautiful lights of Asahi Town as they walked down the hill together. "That you do, Shinta-kun… That you do…"

The End!

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Hope it didn't suck too much; tell me what you thought of it! Thank you!


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